


The Eighth Sin

by ChaoticPen



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Arthur Knows About Merlin's Magic (Merlin), Arthur Knows About Morgana's Magic (Merlin), Awesome Morgana (Merlin), BAMF!Merlin (Merlin), Good Morgana (Merlin), Merlin's Magic Revealed (Merlin), Morgana's Magic Revealed (Merlin), Other, Uther Pendragon dead (Merlin)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-30
Updated: 2020-04-30
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:08:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,960
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23928934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChaoticPen/pseuds/ChaoticPen
Summary: Lost to the ages was the knowledge of the eighth deadly sin, loyalty. This was best of all the sins, rising high as bright banners, and the worst, coloured with treason and blood. For there are few who have it, there are few who knew it. And those who it had been offered to, they were the most fortunate souls, for there was nothing a loyal one would not do for those they gave their loyalty to.
Relationships: Gwen & Merlin & Morgana & Arthur Pendragon, Gwen/Morgana[implied], Merlin & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)[implied]
Comments: 1
Kudos: 69





	The Eighth Sin

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, this is my first fanfic. Credit to LilacsAndLilies (@lilacsandlilies4 on Tumblr) for editing and thanks to @writing-prompt-s and @iidiotkid for the prompt!

It was a pleasant day in Camelot, everyone going about their way, a peaceful lull all over the land. Almost everyone in the city seemed to be having a good day. Everyone except a certain someone that is.  
King Arthur Pendragon of Camelot was not having a good day. His manservant Merlin had been missing since morning and some other bootlicker had brought his breakfast in his place.  
As he stormed into the physician’s quarters, Arthur muttered something about firing a certain manservant unless he turned up right now, though almost everyone in the castle knew that the king would never fire Merlin.  
“Sire! I was just about to come to you. Have you seen Merlin?”  
“What do you mean, Gaius? Isn’t he with you?” Arthur asked, heart-pounding, his fear for Merlin overcoming his anger.  
“No, sire,” Gauis said, with a knowing look in his eyes. “But I believe that you know where he is.”  
“That idiot!” Arthur knew Merlin wanted to protect him and he knew he needed Merlin to protect him. He also knew Merlin could protect himself with his magic, much better than Arthur could protect him.  
“You know he will be fine, sire. There is very little that can harm Merlin when he is in a rage, you know that,” Gaius murmured, placing a comforting hand on Arthur’s shoulder.  
“I know, Gaius.” Arthur sighed, “Roundtable meeting in an hour.” Arthur walked away to his chambers, briefly stopping to tell a servant to inform the members of the roundtable about the meeting.  
Ever since Merlin had told him about his magic and their destiny, Arthur was stuck between worrying for his idiot and being proud of him. He had been angry Merlin had lied to him but he understood why he had lied and let it go. After knowing that Merlin was a sorcerer, it seemed obvious to him that all sorcerers were not evil. After finding out about Arthur's new stance on magic, Morgana revealed herself as a seer to both Arthur and Merlin.  
Arthur wondered about how Merlin was doing against whoever that wanted to kill him now. He spent almost an hour musing over it before going to the meeting room.  
As Arthur entered the room in which they were meeting, he saw that everyone had already arrived. Except for Merlin, of course. “Merlin’s late again, isn't he?” he remarked, smiling at his friends.  
The doors banged close behind him. Arthur turned around and pulled at the unrelenting doors. He wished Merlin was here with him. But knowing him, he was somewhere in the forest fighting off his adversary.  
Merlin would be annoyed if he’d just fought off someone only to come home to a dead Arthur. So, Arthur had to either vanquish whatever idiot decided to get away with treason or at least stall him long enough for Merlin to get back.  
“Who are you?” Arthur asked empty air walking towards his family and friends.  
“Just a sorcerer you’d execute, sire,” the man answered. “What? No ‘what do you want’, sire? I’m almost disappointed?” he said, the ‘sire’ sounding like an insult.  
“You want to either to kill me or to kill me. What’s the point of asking questions I know the answer to?” Arthur muttered, inching closer to the sorcerer.  
“Let me stop you there, king of terror,” he said, before binding them all and gagging Arthur with magic. “I don't want to kill you.”  
As the man spoke, the doors opened slightly and a dark-haired servant quietly slipped in, only to look at the scene and bang his head on the door.  
“That’s good for me then,” the servant said when he heard the man saying he did not want to kill the king. “Who are you?”  
“I’m Rion. And who might you be?” the sorcerer asked, looking genuinely curious, forgetting he had locked the door with magic.  
“Oh, I’m Merlin. The king’s manservant,” Merlin mumbled. “Anyway, are we finished here? I'd like to go to bed.” Merlin had a dreamy look in his eyes. “The soft bed, with fluffy pillows and a warm blanket. And, of course, my personal heater,” Merlin waxed with a twinkle in his eye.  
“How’d a servant like you have such a luxurious bed?” Rion asked. “And, no we are not done here.” He paused, “Why are you tired?” Rion felt affection for the smiling servant bubble up in him.  
“Oh, technically, it’s not my bed,” Merlin remarked, to laughter from the knights, Gwen and Morgana. “Pity. I’ve had to get rid of three threats today already and it’s barely noon. The first two were easy, but the second one got a scratch on me. So the third one had an advantage and she took it. She’s gone now, though.”  
“Threats? She? What?” Rion looked at the skinny servant who looked like he would fall over if a strong wind blew his way.  
“Yes, the threats to the crown. The last one’s name was- what was it-Ar- Arie- Aria! Yes, that’s it. Aria.” Merlin scanned the room discretely. He kept an eye on Rion to make sure his king was unharmed.  
“Aria?” Rion felt his slight affection for Merlin waning. Another of his kind dead, all in the name of the crown. He’d known Aria briefly when they both were learning to control their magic. His anger and frustration at the king brewed like a raging storm. “Hearm!” he shouted, shooting the spell towards the king.  
Everyone waited, staring at the king in shock when Merlin moved and blocked the spell with a shield. Rion growled, thinking his spell had missed, getting ready to shoot another one when Merlin spoke up from behind him.  
“How dare you try to hurt my King? How dare you?” he whispered, his voice taut and his eyes darkening. He looked almost feral, as though the sweet bumbling servant had never existed. The sunlight entering from the window fell upon him, giving him an ethereal look.  
The people in the room were staring incredulously at Merlin, thinking he was going to get himself killed. The few who knew of his magic were afraid of the consequences of him revealing himself.  
“Your king,” Rion spat, “killed millions of innocent people!”. He glared at Arthur and shot another spell at him. “My people,” he whispered, enraged.  
As the spell shot towards the king, there were many cries of ‘my lord’ and ‘Arthur’. Morgana stared at her brother unable to help him, tears streaming down her cheeks, wondering of what use her magic was, if she could not save her brother.  
Merlin, though, only looked more angered and blocked the spell with a flick of his wrist and glared at the sorcerer attacking his king.  
“What- how- you have magic.” The words were more an accusation than a question. Rion smiled thinly. “You’re a traitor to your kind, servant.”  
“I’ve betrayed no one!” Merlin said eyes ablaze, binding Rion with his magic. “My loyalty is to my King now, and forever.”  
“You’d show loyalty to a king who would burn you? Who would behead you?” Rion challenged.  
“I’d light my pyre and burn unrestrained if that is what Arthur wants. I would burn down the world for him. I am his servant, till the day I die. My loyalty lies with him, and him alone. Until I die, I will protect him. And I will not die until my destiny is fulfilled.”  
“What destiny could a mere servant like you have, traitor?” Rion asked looking at Merlin, realising there was no length to which he would not for his king.  
As Rion said this, Arthur glared daggers at him wishing he could just kill the bloody man and wishing that he could talk. Merlin was not a mere servant. He was Merlin, the only one who could calm Arthur when he was in a rage, the only one Arthur would risk everything for, he was Arthur’s Merlin. Because Merlin was everything to Arthur. His best friend, his servant, his unofficial consort.  
“I’m no mere servant, Rion. And I’m not a traitor. I am Emrys.,” Merlin declared, an unsettling grin on his face.  
“Emrys? As in Lord Emrys of the prophecies?” Rion looked afraid, knowing that if he had harmed Emrys, the magical community would shun him.  
“Yes, and Arthur is the Once and Future King, who will unite all of Albion and bring peace to the land.” Merlin looked proud as he talked about his destiny with his King, knowing it was almost brought to fruition. His burden seemed easier to bear with Arthur knowing everything about him and helping him fulfil their destiny.  
“You were supposed to bring magic back to the land, Emrys. Not fight against it!” Rion shouted, his words echoing around the hall. Though the man was trapped and bound on the floor, his words were still strong and harsh.  
Clang. Everyone turned from where they were staring gobsmacked at Merlin to where the noise came from. They found Arthur glaring at Merlin, seeming to convey something with his eyes.  
“What do you- oh, oh, sorry, Arthur,” Merlin mumbled, smiling sheepishly, seeming almost a different person, undoing the spells on the knights and the royal family.  
“Thank you, Merlin, for finally remembering I was under a spell. And, Merlin, I swear if you ever try to sacrifice yourself for me, I’ll bring you back and make you clean the whole of Camelot” Arthur shot at Merlin, who was smiling cheekily, before turning to face Rion, “The bans on magic will be removed next week and sorcerers will be prosecuted based on their crime, same as any citizen of Camelot.”  
Rion stared blankly at Arthur, as though he were unable to understand what his words meant.  
“So,” Arthur continued, “ do not accuse Merlin of not fulfilling his destiny. He has worked tirelessly in the past few months trying to reverse the old laws with me.”  
Rion bowed his head apologetically, almost reverently, towards the King and his Warlock.  
Suddenly, Arthur glared at Rion, remembering something. “And don’t you ever dare call Merlin a mere servant again,” Arthur paused. “You will be prosecuted according to the new laws of Camelot next week based on your attack on us.”  
Merlin looked with pitying eyes on the young sorcerer. “Arthur, he didn’t know about the new laws. He just wanted his freedom, he didn’t want to kill you. Can’t we give him another chance? The public wouldn’t know about it, and your knights can be sworn to secrecy. Morgana, Gwen, and Gauis also would keep it secret. Please, Arthur,” Merlin pleaded, looking towards his king.  
“Fine, but if he attempts another attack, he will be dealt with harshly,” Arthur said, softening as he looked towards Merlin.  
Rion stared shocked at Merlin as Arthur acquiesced with Merlin’s request. It was a testament to how much Merlin was held in the King’s regard that none of his knights even batted an eye at the scene. Of course, everyone in the castle knew that Merlin was Arthur’s favourite, and his closest knights even teased him for it.  
“So, Merlin, Arthur, can we go now? The tavern’s waiting for me,” Gawain said looking at everyone. “Anyone want to join?”  
Arthur sighed, shaking his head at Gwaine’s antics. “Alright, you’re all dismissed. Merlin, release that poor boy already.”  
Merlin smiled sheepishly at Rion as he undid his spell. “I’m sorry, Rion, I forgot.”  
Rion continued to stare at them incredulously before walking out on shaky legs. The knights followed after him, going to the tavern together. Morgana and Gwen disappeared together and Gauis slowly returned to his chambers. Arthur and Merlin walked back to their chambers, discussing court matters, both feeling drained and just wanting to go to sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Hope you liked it.


End file.
